The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-12-07


. sonable demand for governmental
, regard it suits the purpose of th'
, advocates to call our manufactures
, infant industries still needing th'
highest and greatest degree OF favor
and fostering care of Federal iegls
Iation 1t is also said that the in
crease in the price of domestic man
ufactures resu ting from the present
tariff is necessary in order thai
higher wages may be paid to oul
workingmen employed in manu-
tact1res than is paid for what is
called the pauper tabor OF Europe
All will acknowledge the force o.
argument which Involves the wei,
fare and liberal CO np2ast;i0n Of our
laboring people, O.Ir .s;4"- is bon,
orablc in the eyes of es.rv An r;cln
citizen and as it lie tt the t"un;A,
tion of our developno.. a-si prps
ress it is entitled without att~ctatjOa
or hypocrisy to the ntm"St rssari.
g.! The standard of our loi.-sts =nouid
not be measure 6y tt5lt of any
other country less favored aad they
are entitled to their full share of all
our advantages.
By the last census it is made to
appear that of the II ,392,O99 OF our
population engaged in all kinds of
industries 7,67O,493 are employed in
agriculture, 4 O74 ,238,in professional
and personal service, 2,934.876 of
whom are domestic servants and
laborers, while 1,S10,256 are en-
ployed in trade and transportation,
and 3,837,1 ,112 aro clas ed as en-
ployed in manufacturing and min
ing. For present purposes, how
ever, the last number given should
be considerably reduced without
attempting to enumerate all. 1t
will be conceded that there should
be deducted from those which it
excludes 375.141 carpenters and
joiners, 285, ,401 millinerE, dressmak-
ers ana seamstresses, 172,726 black-
smiths, 1876 tailors and tailor
essss, 102, ,473 masons. 76, ,241 butch
ers, 41,309 bakers, 22,083 plasterers.
and 1891 engaged in manufacturing
agricultural implements, an aggre.
gate of 1,214,023, leaving 2,623,O89
persons emp Dyed in such manu-
featuring industries as are claimed
to be benefited by high tariff.
To these the appeal is made to
57ee their employment and main-
tain their wages by resisting a
change. There should be 10 dispo>
sition to answer such suggestion by
the allegation that they are in mi
nority among those who labor and
therefore should forego an advan-
tage in the interest of low prices for
the majority. Their compensation,
as it may be affected by the opera
ton of tariff laws, should at all
times be scrupuiously kept in view;
and yet with slight reflection they
will not overlook the fact that they
are consumers with the rest, that
they too have their own wants and
those of their families to supply
from their earnings, and that the
price OF the necessaries of life, as
well as the amount of their wages,
will regulate the measure of their
welfare and comfort. But the re-
duction of taxation demanded
should be so measured as not to ne
cessitate or justify either the loss of
employment by the working man
nor the lessening of his wages, and
the profits still remaining to the
manufacture after a necessary read
| justment should furnish no excuse
for the sacrifice of the interests of
his employee, either in their oppor-
tunlty to work or the dimiuution Of
their compensation. Nor can the
workers in manufactures fail to un-
derstand that while high tariff is
claimed to be necessary TO allow the
payment of remunerative wages it
certainly results in a very large in
crease in the price of nearly all sorts
| of manufactures which in almost
countless forms he needs for the use
of himself and his family. He re
ceives at the desk of his employer
his wages, and perhaps before he
reaches his home is obliged in pur-
chase for his family an article which
embraces his own labor to return in
the payment the increase in price
which the tariff permits the hard
earned compensation of many days
OF toll. The farmer and the agri>
culturist who manufacture nothing,
but who pay the increased price
which the tariff imposes upon every
agricultural implement, upon all he
uses and owns, except the, increase
OF his focks and hef1s and such
things as his husbandry produces
from the soil, is invited to aid in
maintaining the present situation;
and he is told that a high duty on
imported wool is necessary for the
benefit of those who have sheep
to shear in order that the price
of their wool may be incre ,sed.
They of course are not reminded that
the farmer who has no sheep is by
this scheme obliged in his purchases
of clio hing and woolen goods to pay
tribute to his fellow farmer as we'll
as to the manufac turer and merchant
nor is any mention made of the fact
that sheep owners themselves and
their households must wear clothing
and use other articles manufactured
from the wool they sell at tariff rates
and TINS as consumers will return a
share of the increased price. TO the
tradesmen. l think it may be fairly
assumed that a large proportion of
the sheep owned by the farmers
throughout the country are found in